"The answer is no."

"Please Tyler?"

"No. No way. Absolutely not."

"Please?"

Tyler sighed and kept walking down the hall, Josh scrambling up to keep up with him.

Josh slowed as his steps fell in place next to Tyler. "I just don't see why-" he started, but Tyler interrupted.

"There's no way, Josh," Tyler shook his head as he opened the door to his room and walked inside. Josh quickly followed him.

"Can't it just be for a little while?" Josh asked hopefully, sitting down on Tyler's bed.

"I said no, Josh," Tyler snapped. "And no means no. Quit arguing with me."

Josh let out a frustrated huff of air and flopped back on Tyler's bed.

"I just miss them, Tyler," Josh mumbled, staring up at the ceiling. "They're my family. I want to see them."

Tyler sat down on the other edge of the bed, his back toward Josh. He stared out the only window in his room. The heavy black curtains were pulled back, allowing bright sunlight to pour into the room.

"Can't we just go for a little while?" Josh continued. He sat up and crawled across the bed to sit next to Tyler.

Tyler rolled his eyes. "In case you haven't forgotten, I'm a wanted man, Josh," he said, pointing to his chest. "As soon as I step outside I got a warrant over my head."

Josh looked down.

"If I go out there and someone sees me," Tyler continued, pointing out the window. Josh's eyes followed his hand and glanced outside. "I could get life. And that's if I'm lucky. At worst, I'd get the chair."

Josh narrowed his eyes at Tyler. "The chair?" He asked, his voice slow and uncertain.

Tyler scoffed, looking at Josh in disbelief.

"The electric chair, Josh," he replied, shaking his head. "Death sentence. After all the things I've done, they'd be doing me a favor giving me life. But letting me live, even in jail, would be too nice. I'd prolly get lethal injection."

Josh suddenly imagined Tyler laying there on some operating table, in some dark room, surrounded by police officers and guards and warrens. He also saw him struggling against his restraints as a guard took a syringe and plunged it into his arm.

Even worse, he imagined his agonized body shaking and writhing and thrashing and contorting and twitching underneath the electric shock of the electric chair.

Josh leaned his elbows on his knees and hung his head in his hands.

"Don't talk like that, Tyler," he murmured, squeezing his eyes shut. He gripped the sides of his head tightly, as if to crush the thoughts out of his mind.

Tyler sighed and leaned his head on Josh's shoulder. He traced his finger lightly along Josh's back, feeling his muscles underneath his tight shirt.

"I'm sorry, but it's true," he said with a frown. "There's no way I'm risking that to see your family. No way."

"Then I guess seeing your family too is out of the question," Josh said quietly, looking down at his lap.

Tyler looked out the window, averting his eyes from Josh. He chewed on his bottom lip as he stared at the bright sky above.

"Of course I want to see them, Josh," Tyler murmured quietly, his voice barely a whisper. He kept his eyes trained on the baby blue sky, at the clouds slowly floating past.

Josh looked over at Tyler expectantly, waiting hopefully to see his answer.

"But I can't," he said finally, shaking his head and looking over at Josh sitting on the bed next to him.

When his eyes met Josh's, his angry expression softened.

"What if I get caught, Josh?" He whispered, sadness in his soft voice and tired eyes. "What if someone sees me? I'll be taken away from you forever. I've already lost you once, Josh. I'm not losing you again."

Josh took Tyler's hand in his and sighed. Tyler was right. They both knew that.

"That's just not a risk I'm willing to take," Tyler continued, lightly squeezing Josh's hand. "You understand that, don't you?"

"I thought you liked taking risks," Josh murmured.

Tyler shook his head. "Not with you. You're the only stable thing in my life. I need something to keep me grounded. You're my stability, Josh. I can't lose you. You're the only one that keeps me..."

Tyler's voice trailed off, and he looked down at his lap. He fell sideways and leaned against Josh's shoulder.

"...alive," he finished quietly.

Josh licked his cracked lips and didn't say anything. What could he say?

"Plus," Tyler sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Even if I could, they wouldn't want to see me anyways. Can you imagine that family reunion?"

Tyler laughed softly to try to lighten the mood. Josh's lips pulled up into a half smile.

"I can see it now," Tyler continued, his laugh growing louder and brighter. "A twenty-something year old murderer goes back to his roots and visits his family. Playing basketball with his brothers, singing a song to his mom-"

"Okay, okay," Josh laughed, waving Tyler off with his hand. "I get it. Serial killers don't have family reunions."

Tyler playfully rolled his eyes. "Yes, Josh, that's the moral of the story," he said sarcastically.

Josh sighed and leaned against Tyler, burying his head in the crook of his neck.

"Josh..." Tyler said as he felt Josh's hot breath on his neck.

"Hmm?" Josh hummed, smirking to himself as he pressed his lips against Tyler's neck.

"Are you seriously using my sexual attraction for you to get what you want right now?" He asked as Josh continued kissing his neck.

"Is it working?" Josh murmured against his skin. He bit down and sucked on the soft skin along Tyler's collarbone.

Tyler closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath.

"M-Maybe a little," Tyler stuttered, leaning his head back and allowing Josh to move his lips further and further up his neck.

As soon as Josh began kissing Tyler's jawline, Tyler abruptly stood up.

"F-Fine Josh," he said shakily, trying to steady his heavy breathing. "You win. We can go."

"Yes!" Josh smiled victoriously and laid back on the bed.

"But you owe me!" Tyler called as he grabbed a jacket and began walking over to the bedroom door.

"I'll make it up to you later," Josh laughed, putting his arms behind his head and resting back against the pillow.

He was going to see his family.

✗✗✗✗✗

"I'm not a hat guy, Josh."

"Shut up, you totally are. You look adorable."

"Adorable?"

"Okay, I'm sor-hey, hey! Tyler, no! Put the knife down Ty-hey, I said no! Come on, Tyler, control yourself. These are my parents we're talking about here."

Tyler crossed his arms and let out a frustrated huff of air, his bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

"You wouldn't even let me bring my gun, Josh," Tyler rolled his eyes and put his feet up on the dashboard. "I had to bring something."

Josh sighed and glanced over at Tyler in the passenger seat. He was wearing a black baseball cap, an oversized yellow hoodie, and plain black jeans and shoes. He had wanted to wear his red socks, but that wouldn't have worked. He had nice ankles. Red socks and nice ankles would have been too noticeable.

Josh turned his attention back to the road and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Can we listen to some music?" Tyler asked to break the silence. "Where's your car radio?"

"Don't have one," Josh replied simply.

Tyler groaned and shifted sideways in his seat, so he could lay across the console and lean his back against Josh.

"Are we gonna tell them, Josh?" He asked, fiddling with his favorite knife in his hands. He watched it as it glinted silver in the afternoon light.

"Tell them what?" Josh raised his eyebrow and glanced down at Tyler. "And I told you to put that away, Tyler!"

Tyler groaned in frustration and reluctantly shoved the knife in his belt.

"To tell them that we're..." Tyler continued, chewing on his bottom lip. "You know..."

"Fucking?" Josh finished with a laugh, smirking at Tyler.

"I was gonna say to tell them that we're murderers," Tyler scoffed, nudging Josh with his elbow. His lips also pulled up into a smirk. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Josh."

Josh's laugh slowly faded into a cringe. "Yeah, I guess I forgot about that part. We just won't-"

"We have to talk about it," Tyler interrupted, sitting up in his seat. "They're gonna recognize me. My face is all over the news. Everyone knows who I am. Everyone knows I'm wanted. What are we gonna tell them? How do we know they're not gonna call the cops? Shit, Josh, I knew this was a bad idea. Turn the car around, we're going back-"

Josh reached over and grabbed Tyler's hand.

"Hey," he said firmly, looking over at him. "Take a breath."

Tyler grit his teeth and closed his eyes. "That doesn't help-"

"Yes it does," Josh interrupted, squeezing Tyler's hand. "Now do what I say. Breathe."

Tyler angrily inhaled and exhaled through his nose. All of the muscles in his body tightened. He squeezed Josh's hand tighter.

"Out your mouth, Tyler, your mouth," Josh instructed. "Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, remember? Listen to me, Tyler, listen to me."

Tyler did as he was told, taking a deep breath through his nose and feeling the fresh oxygen fill his lungs. He slowly exhaled and relaxed his shoulders, and soon his whole body.

"Another one, Tyler," Josh said. "Take another breath. Take a lot of breaths. A whole lot."

Tyler opened one eye and glanced sideways at Josh. "Why?" He asked suspiciously.

"Because we're here."

✗✗✗✗✗
✗✗✗✗✗

I !! Love !! Domestic !! Joshler !!!

Hey kiddos!

It feels like I've been away for a really long time even though it's only been, like, a week.

Depression is hard, guys. It takes away my inspiration and passion and motivation and drive to do anything, especially writing.

But I'm back, guys. I pushed through it, and you guys can too. Thank you for all the lovely comments, I love you all. If anyone ever needs help, please feel free to message me.

You guys can do this. Stay strong, stay alive, I love you. ♡

Part Two to this bonus chapter will be up soon.

More Domestic!Cute!Family!Joshler coming soon.

- Liz.